Ashes Reports Rebuked, Olympic Gold or World Cup? & Shield Finals Race

In this episode of Cricket Unfiltered, Menners is joined by cricket broadcaster Damian Watson to break down the biggest stories across Australian and world cricket. They discuss Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg confirming that a Pink Ball Test will remain part of the next Ashes series, the excitement building around the 150th anniversary Test at the MCG, and the debate over whether Adelaide could challenge Melbourne to host the 2028 T20 World Cup final. The conversation also explores Australia’s Olympic cricket ambitions, including whether winning Olympic gold in 2028 would mean more than a home T20 World Cup title. Menners and Damian also examine the Australian women’s squad for the West Indies tour, debating the appointment of Sophie Molineux as captain amid injury concerns, and highlighting rising talent Tahlia Wilson earning national selection. They also cover Matthew Hayden joining the IPL as a batting coach, coaching changes in Australian domestic cricket, and the tight race for the Sheffield Shield final. The episode finishes with reflections on Alyssa Healy’s farewell to international cricket and listener questions on Steve Smith’s future and Australia’s upcoming tours. (02:06) Pink Ball Test confirmed for the next Ashes series (03:45) 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG and huge ticket demand (05:20) Debate: Should Adelaide host the 2028 T20 World Cup Final? (08:55) Olympic cricket – Gold medal vs winning a home T20 World Cup (14:36) Sophie Molineux captaincy debate and Australian women’s squad news (20:42) Matthew Hayden joins IPL coaching ranks (24:40) Sheffield Shield finals race and permutations (33:02) Alyssa Healy farewell and Steve Smith future discussion Cricket Unfiltered Merchandise is Here! We’ve launched our official Cricket Unfiltered merch store thanks to a brilliant partnership with Exactamundo, a longtime supporter of the show. 🛒 Shop now:https://www.chickensaltoftheearth.com/shop/category/Cricket-Unfiltered?c=5469591 🎁 Use Promo Code: CU10 for 10% off your first order! From caps to tees, rep your love of cricket with some top-quality gear. Exactamundo is a video, animation, design and content production company. They produce digital signage, on-screen graphics, sideline animations and videos for sports teams like the Central Coast Mariners in the A-League, Manly Sea Eagles in the NRL and numerous American NBA, NFL and MLB teams.  They also create high quality videos and animations for the corporate world, such as product promos and explainer videos. Check them out at exactamundo.com.au Get the inserted AD’s FREE VERSION of the show on our Patreon Page Subscribe to our YouTube page for live streams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk7koDKpKxe0e3yC7NXQx6Q Linktree for listening on podcast apps and finding us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cricketunfiltered Show twitter: https://twitter.com/auscricketpod Menners on twitter:  https://twitter.com/amenners TIKTOK: @cricketunfiltered Sponsorship enquiries for host read ads: [email protected] Email the show your cricket takes: [email protected] Piccolo Podcasts: https://piccolopodcasts.com.au/ Founder Andrew Menczel. The first episode aired August 2013.  It is a multi award-winning podcast team, the show has featured 15 Australian captains and some of the greatest legends of cricket and an episode is archived in the Australian National Film and Sound Archive. Menners is an accredited cricket journalist and commentator and his interview with Alex Blackwell won a Cricket NSW Media Award. The show was the first ever regular weekly Australian cricket podcast.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices